CITIES MAY BE LEFT OUT OF FAIRGROUNDS PARTNERSHIP

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Del Mar Fairgrounds officials and county leaders are stepping up their talks on creating a partnership to oversee the state-owned fairgrounds, but it appears unlikely that neighboring cities will get a seat at the table.

The county Board of Supervisors voted in November to take a closer look at partnering with the fairgrounds to ensure more local oversight and protect the property from being sold — an idea the cash-strapped state floated a few years ago.

On Feb. 11, representatives from the fairgrounds, the state and the county met in Sacramento to further discuss the matter. Since then, very few specifics have been released.

However, Adam Day — board president for the 22nd District Agricultural District, the agency that governs the fairgrounds — said it’s a “distinct possibility” city representatives wouldn’t be part of the mix.

“The fair board, county and state have to date expressed an interest in exploring a partnership with each other — not with any municipalities,” Day said in an email this week. He said that at the Feb. 11 meeting state officials reaffirmed their interest in a partnership strictly between the county and the fair board.

Officials in Del Mar and Solana Beach, the two coastal cities most affected by the fairgrounds, have insisted a new model should include representatives from their communities.

Both cities recently passed resolutions, re- affirming that desire.

Solana Beach Councilwoman Lesa Heebner said that while the fairgrounds provides benefits to her city, it also leads to more noise and crime and can negatively affect businesses.

“We like having the fairgrounds there, don’t get me wrong, but we would like to have a say in what happens there,” said Heebner. “We want a representative voice.”

Day said local cities would still have increased representation through their district’s county supervisor.

“There is zero local input today, either through appointments to our board or oversight and management of our operations,” Day said. “Any agreement with the county would be a huge leap forward.”

Officials from Solana Beach and Del Mar have both said that’s not enough.

“While we have a good rapport with our county supervisor … they don’t all understand our part of a region,” Heebner said. “My concern is the philosophy of those people who would be involved in the governance of the fairgrounds.”

Supervisor Dave Roberts served as a Solana Beach council member for eight years and now represents the coastal region’s interests at the county level.

Roberts said he will continue to push for local representation.

“I want to ensure we have a governance model that recognizes input from those two communities in a substantive way,” Roberts said, referencing the two seaside communities’ recent resolutions. “My job is to respect those local communities and try to figure out what is the best that we can get. I think those communities respect my ‘getting to yes’ attitude.”

Roberts said he hopes to be more involved in the process as it continues to move forward, possibly taking over for one of his colleagues.